UEFA Champions League/FC Porto 1; Inter Milan 1: Central defender Ricardo Costa equalised just after the hour mark to earn holders Porto a 1-1 draw with Inter Milan in their Champions League first knockout round, first leg last night.
Striker Dejan Stankovic set up Inter's goal in the 24th minute. He broke into the box from the left, slipped by two defenders and crossed low past goalkeeper Vitor Baia for Obafemi Martins, unmarked, to turn the ball into an empty net.
Porto failed to show any reaction and Roberto Mancini's side easily controlled the match and even went close to adding another with some good counter attacks.
It seems, however, that Inter cannot stop drawing games as this plague has made its appearance in the Champions League too. Inter's started to relax in the second half which allowed an average Porto side to get back into contention.
Porto equalised in the 61st minute when Inter goalkeeper Francesco Toldo missed a high cross to the far post, Costinha played the ball back into the middle and Costa blasted it hom from one metre. This was a wake-up call for the Italians who tried to take back the lead but failed to do so mostly thanks to a superb Baia.
In the end, a complacent Inter side managed to leave Portugal with a precious 1-1 draw which boosts their chances of qualification for the next round.
The result gave Jose Couceiro a draw in his first European match in charge of the holders - he is the third man to occupy the Porto hot-seat since Jose Mourinho moved to Chelsea last summer. The two teams meet in the second leg in Milan on March 15th, a week after the other seven ties are completed.
FC PORTO: Vitor Baia, Pedro Emanuel, Ricardo Costa, Costinha, Nuno Valente, Quaresma (Postiga 83), Bosingwa (Luis Fabiano 28), Maniche, Seitaridis, Raul Meireles, McCarthy. Subs Not Used: Nuno, Pepe, Leandro, Claudio, Paulo Machado. Booked: Costinha. Goals: Ricardo Costa 61.
INTER MILAN: Toldo, Cordoba, Javier Zanetti, Cristiano Zanetti, Adriano (Vieri 80), Veron (Emre 70), Favalli, Cambiasso, Materazzi, Stankovic, Martins. Subs Not Used: Carini, Burdisso, Van der Meyde, Mihajlovic, Gonzalez. Booked: Favalli, Cordoba, Materazzi. Goals: Martins 23.
Referee: G Poll (England).
